Compressed natural gas (CNG) is becoming more widely used for powering various different types of vehicles, due at least in part to the fact that CNG is a relatively economical, efficient, and environmentally favorable source of energy. Refuse trucks and other fleet-type vehicles have increasingly been outfitted with engines and fuel systems configured for CNG. However, refuse trucks are typically manufactured in a multi-step process, with an OEM manufacturing a portion of the truck and a second entity completing the manufacturing process, which can cause difficulties with powering and moving the truck in the middle of the manufacturing process. For example, the OEM may manufacture a vehicle that includes the chassis, axles, wheels, drivetrain, and operator cab, and a body outfitter may later mount the body and associated hydraulics, electronics, etc., on the vehicle. The main fuel tanks are often connected to the chassis by the body outfitter as well, leaving the vehicle without power for movement during transfer to the body outfitter. Additionally, existing fuel systems for CNG vehicles are generally set up for specific fueling configurations and do not provide freedom for connecting different types and configurations of fuel tanks.
Thus, while certain refuse hauling trucks and other vehicles and fuel systems for such vehicles according to existing designs provide a number of advantageous features, they nevertheless have certain limitations. The present invention seeks to overcome certain of these limitations and other drawbacks of the prior art, and to provide new features not heretofore available.